Radiator enclosure



J. ADLER RADIATOR ENCLOSURE June 19, 1934.

Filed Jan. 23

' 2 Sheets-Sheet l JACK ADLER.

June 19, 1.934. ADLER RADIATOR ENGLOSURE Filed Jan. 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/vx/-r/ro?? JACK ADLER; yI/m/V f4 ORNE-V Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES RADIATOR ENoLosURE` Jack Adler, St. Louis, Mo.

Application January 23,

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in radiator enclosures, and' more particularly to such enclosures of ornamental and decorative appearance for co-operating with and concealing the l 5 radiators which they'enclose, and has among its objects the production of such devices which shall be neat and attractive in appearance', simple and durable in construction, especially easy to install and operate, and efficient and satisfac- 0 tory for use wherever found applicable.

Quite often, such radiator enclosures must be positioned over radiators that are located more or less in recesses in a wall, immediately below window sills or other interfering structures, or in other places where the usual pivoted or hinged covers of the radiator enclosures can be but imperfectly operated to provide access `to the interior of the enclosure, or the enclosures may be entirely inoperative as far as* the cover is convUI .x cerned.

To' this end, one of the objects of my invention is to provide a construction whereby the covers of the enclosures will not be movable vertically relatively of the radiator-enclosing structure, but

" on the contrary, will be adjustable horizontally relatively thereto, and whereby access will be afforded to the interior of the enclosure regardless of whether or not the radiator is positioned within a recess. v A* '30 Another object of my invention is to provide such a horizontally movable cover member, which shall be substantially self-supporting at all points of its adjustment, whereby access may be had to the interior of the enclosure with either or both hands and without the necessityrof using Vone hand for supporting the cover at any time.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a cover which shall be horizontally slidable relatively of the enclosure, and whereby there need be no necessityof removing any objects that may be on top of the cover, in order to move the same to provide access to the interior of the enclosure.

Another object of my invention is to provide a slidable cover for radiator enclosures, so that there will bev no liability of bumping the cover into the adjacent wall structure to chip, mar or otherwise injure one or both of the surfaces coming into contact, this being especially likelyto occur where the radiator is located in some of the relatively inaccessible locations previously mentioned.Y Y n f As a still further object of my invention, I have provided aself-supporting structure of the kind particularly pointed out in the claims.

1931, Serial No. 510,704

previously mentioned, but which shall beso constructed that it will be provided with auxiliary ornamental legs slidably mounted over the per. marient legs, to thereby not only conceal the latter and the weld-marks or other marks of assemr-z 3% bling that may be thereon, but whereby these auxiliary legs may be slidably removed in case it is desired to repair or replace them or for any other reason, all without disturbing the remaining. enclosure structure from its service; ,Y

Another object of my invention is to provide a radiator enclosure of thev kind described, and wherein the panel strips which define the relative sizes of the panel sectionsare not permanently afl'xed to the panels, but are instead, detachably secured thereto and easily removable therefrom to a new position across the face of the paneL'and in which the fastening means for securingthe` panel strips in place on the panel sheet arevconrcealed from View after the parts are assembled.

A further object of my invention is to provide a radiator enclosure which may be adjusted. in over-all length or height or in any combinationof these dimensions, while installing the enclosures in place, so as to compensate for any inaccuracies that might have occurred in takingthe measure; ments 'for said'enclosures. v

A still further object of my invention is to pro-v vide for the interlocking of the various parts'of the enclosure; in such manner that the parts may be slid into interlocking'relationship during the, assembly at the factory, and then taken apart and shipped to the destination in knock-down packaging, and after arrival upon the job, said parts may be readily reassembled by slipping some of the parts into the mating parts and bolting these parts together, the exterior parts concealing said bolts after assembly'.

Another object of my invention is to provide fastening means for holding the ornamental legs to the carriers or slide rails upon which they are mounted. in such Amanner that said securing means willbe entirely concealed when saidfslide rails are in assembled position,.and said securing means can not-becomedisplaced and lost while the Yparts are so arranged.

' Many otherobjects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described, 'and the uses mentioned, lwill be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, from the disclosures herein given.

To .this end, my invention consists in the'novel construction, arrangement' and combination of parts herein shown and described, `and more In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a radiator enclosure embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same, with certain of the parts in section, and showing the cover both in fully opened and in fully closed positions;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same, showing the radiator in elevation;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the enclosure, with the adjacent wall structure in section;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view, showing the enclosure extended at one end to an increased over-all length;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional View, taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional detail, taken substantially along the line '7--7 of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated one form of my invention, 1 indicates a radiator of any suitable size,

, shape and construction, used as part of a steam,

hot-water, or other form of heating system, and may have a heating fluid control valve 2 at one end of the radiator, and an air control Valve 3 at the other end of the same.

My radiator enclosure is substantially a boxlike structure, of any degree of ornamentation desired, and usually constructed with two pairs of opposed vertical side walls adjoined to one another to form the bounding walls of the enclosure, the front and rear Vertical walls being indicated at 6 and 7, and the end walls being indicated at 8 and 9.

These walls may be shaped for suitable interlocking connection so as to form a rigid structure when assembled, as for example by bolting,

the bottom of the enclosure preferably being opensc that the entire structure may be mounted over and about the radiator, and if so desired the areas between the boundaries of the enclosure may be closed with some foraminous material or grill work, as shown. It will be noted that the edges of the sheets forming the walls of the enclosure are preferably bent back upon themselves so as to provide slots therealong and into which the sheets of foraminous material are slid, this manner of securement between the parts being simple and permitting of said parts being separated after assembly, and then packed fiat in knock-down formation to the point of destination, whereupon the parts may again be slid into place and re-assembled to the original assembly. Bolts 10 may be used for holding the parts in assembled relationship.

A water pan 11 is held in place within the enclosure in any desired manner, as for example by the supporting straps 12 slidably received between the opposed faces of the inturned edges of the front and rear walls of the enclosure, this pan preferably being shorter than the distance between the opposed end walls 8 and 9 of the enclosure, so as to leave sufcient space at either end of the enclosure to permit of access to either of the valves 2 and 3 through the open top of the enclosure.

Legs 13 may be secured to the lower ends of the enclosure to support the same above the floor, the bolts 14 securing the parts together. Shims 15 may be provided between the legs 13 and the lower ends Yof the enclosure to permit of adjustment in height of the enclosure, thereat.

Angle-shaped elements 16 are afxecl to the enclosure at the corners thereof and extend vertically upwardly from adjacent the bottom to adj acent the top. It will be noted that the free edges of said elements are spaced slightly from the adjacent wall surfaces to thereby provide vertical guides for the purpose to be hereinafter described, said guides being secured to the enclosure structure as by the bolts 10 previously mentioned.

Inasmuch as the bolts, or any other manner of fastening elements would be visible from the exterior of the enclosure, and thereby detract from the neatness and attractiveness of the article, I have provided means for concealing such fastening elements from View when the article is in place ready for use, and to that end I have provided auxiliary legs 1'7.

These auxiliary legs may consist of angleshaped elements having their free edges bent back upon themselves and being of such a size that they may be slidably superimposed over the angle elements 16 which form the guides therefor. Ornamental corner posts of wood, composition, plaster, etc., may be secured to the auxiliary leg elements as at 18, these corner posts having a groove formed therealong to receive the corner of the elements 17, said posts and elements 17 being secured together as by screws 19 extending through the elements 17 and into the posts 18. Obviously, when these screws are in place and then auxiliary legs are positioned over the guides as shown in Fig. 2, there will be no likelihood of these screws ever becoming displaced accidentally, the movement of the screws inwardly of the enclosure being stopped by contact with the angle-shaped elements 16.

These ornamental legs may be made to suit the taste of the individual and to harmonize with the furnishings and interior trim of the rooms in which they may be placed, and are replaceable and interchangeable at will. When it is desired to remove any of the auxiliary legs from the enclosure, as when the legs become warped, cracked, chipped, or for any other reason, it is not necessary that the entire enclosure be taken out of service and shipped back to the factory for refinishing or replacement, but instead, the particular leg or legs that are to be replaced are simply slid upwardly along their guides, and the enclosure will remain firmly supported upon the oor even though the auxiliary leg has been removed.

Such a method of replacement is quite convenient and is especially desirable, and insures that the enclosure once in place over the radiator, may remain so indenitely, even though it may be necessary or preferable to replace any of the decorative leg members. Y

A cover member 20 is so arranged that it may be moved without the necessity of tilting or pivoting to uncover the top of the enclosure so as to provide access to the interior of the same, said cover being movable horizontally relatively thereto. The cover extends across the entire top of the enclosure and preferably even extends therebeyond at the front and ends, even as much as several inches. Ihe front and end bounding edges of the cover are preferably bent downwardly thereabout as at 21 and 22 respectively, so as to conceal and overlap the upper portions of the bounding walls of the enclosure.

Strips or pieces 23 may be positioned within the enclosure to extend horizontally across the top thereof adjacent the ends, or they may be in the form of the angle-shaped members shown. These strips form supports for the cover member ilo during thel horizontal movement-'ofi' tlrie7 latten rearwardly and forwardly, and ini orderftofminiemize friction-therebetween; antif-frictiomelement'ss 24mayfbe'- interposed fbetweentlie opposed? rela-v tively movable surfaces:

Also, if desired, a strip1253may-1'besecuredjtofthe end Walls-'of the 'enclosure adjacent the top thereof to form a guide and limiting surface to prevent vertical lift of the cover during its movement to and fro. A stop to limit the withdrawal movement of the cover may be formed in any suitable manner, as by forming a lug 26 at the rear of the side edges or ends of the cover, to abut against a co-operating lug 2'7 formed at the corresponding f sides of the enclosure adjacent the front thereof.

In order to provide for adjustment of the engagement between the cover and enclosure when the overall length of the enclosure is adjusted, as will be hereinafter described, extension pieces 32 may be adjustably secured to the ends of the cover somewhat as shown. Y

These panel strips each consist of two main parts, comprising an under panel strip 28 removably amxed to the panel sheet by detachable fasi .tening means as by the bolts or screws 29, the

free edges of the under strip being spaced slight- 1y from the panel section so as tol provide guides to receive the grooved or channeled side edges of the outer panel strip 30. When the outer panel "strip is thus moved into position by slidably superimposing the latter along the under strip, the bolt or other fastening means will have been concealed, to thereby greatly improve the appearance of the assembled structure. When it is desired to remove the panel strips for any reason, as to change the appearance of the front of the enclosure to make a three-panel front instead of the two-panel sections shown, all that it is necessary to do is t-o slide the front panel strip upwardly, and then remove the rear or under strip, and re-aix the pair of strips to the grill at the new location, as at the dotted line location shown in Fig. 1.

The slidable cover will be prevented against acjcidental lifting movement and hence there will be no tendency for rattling to occur between the top and the enclosure, as might occur if the top were connected to the enclosure with a hinge along one edge. Trucks, street cars, etc., may pass without causing rattling of the cover, and of course, this feature adds to the desirability of the new structure.

It quite often happens that when installations of enclosures are made, the enclosures, made up f vat the factory and shipped to their destination, do not t exactly, due to some inaccuracy that has crept into the measurements, as for example the salesman taking the order and the measurements may have forgotten to include the pipe ilangesin the over-all length of the enclosure. Then when the enclosure is set up, it will be too short and must be shipped back to the factory and either lengthened (if possible) or a new one made. Such a procedure means much delay and inconvvenience To avoid this, I have so constructed my enclosure that when the same is set up and found slightly inaccurate, it may be adjusted then and there and made correct, this adjustment being vpossible in height as well as in length, as these two dimensions are the ones most likely to be off.

The adjustment for height is provided for by the shims between the legs 13 and the bottom of the enclosure, whereby when it is desired to 7-5, lower the enclosure some of the shims may be loi Til.'

removed; .and'i whenitisdesiredl to Waise-.the err7 closure additional shimsifmayfbeadded. l

In. ordento' lengthen"theenclosureto;compensate` fon' any:I slighti inaccuracy;l the" corner eleament's116'maybezprovidediwithza;serieszofopene 80 ings131 adjacenti the top: andi bottom,.. and.. the: fastening; boltsulfm'ay beu positioned selectively?" through these openings to vary the over-all length of the enclosure as needed, and will provide for several inches of adjustment depending upon the width of the elements 16. In case the enclosure is too long, it may be shortened by sawing olf the front and rear walls at one or both ends, which will not interfere with nor damage the finish of the parts.

It' is apparent that the enclosure may be made wider or narrower in somewhat the same manner if so desired, the other leg of the angle-shaped member 16 being provided with the series of openings therethrough in the same manner as described, to receive the bolt through the walls of the enclosure.

The top cover is preferably made with a generous overlap as hereinbefore stated, and therefore an adjustment of several inches may be made 100." without requiring a new cover. The extension pieces 32, previously described, at the under side of the cover may be adjusted as required, to engage with the guide pieces 25 and maintain a neat, smooth t thereat.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, except as limited by the state of the art, and the claims appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a self-supporting radiator-enclosing structure having permanent floor-engaging legs at the corners thereof, of ornamental leg members slidably secured to and superimposed over the corners of said structure 120.` to substantially conceal the permanent legs thereof and be slidably removable therefrom.

2. The combination with a radiator-enclosing structure having floor-engaging legs to rest upon the floor adjacent the radiator being enclosed, of slide elements secured along the vertical walls of said legs, and auxiliary ornamental leg members slidably received by and held upon said slide elements, whereby the first-mentioned legs may be concealed and the auxiliary legs are slidably removable while the structure remains supported by said first-mentioned legs.

3. The combination with a radiator enclosure, of slide elements secured vertically of said enclosure, auxiliary elements slidable along said slide elements so as to be superimposed thereon and held by friction therebetween at any point of vertical sliding movement, ornamental elements exteriorly of said last-mentioned elements, and fastening means extending into said ornamental elements from said auxiliary elements and abuttable against said slide elements to prevent accidental withdrawal of said means.

4. A radiator enclosure having front and rear walls and end walls, supporting legs, means for fag" adjusting said end walls relatively of said front and rear walls to vary the effective length of said enclosure, means for adjusting the height of said'legs, and auxiliary legs so slidably adjustable on said enclosure that the lower ends 150 are movable to substantially flush with the lower ends of said supporting legs.

5. In a radiator enclosure having a perforated panel forming a side Wall therefor, the combination with an under panel strip adjustably secured on said panel intermediate the ends of the latter so as to be selectively positioned at substan- 

